Geography of punjab

Notes about geography of Punjab, useful for general knowledge.
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1. Geography of Punjab Important Notes about Geography of Punjab

2. Geographical Position Punjab is a small state situated in Northwest part of India . The latitudinal position of the state extends from 29.30 degree North to 32.32 degree North. The longitudinal position of Punjab is between 73.55 degree East to 76.50 degree East . It is a border state, having international border with Pakistan on the western side. Punjab shares its border with four states - Jammu & Kashmir , Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

3. Area of Punjab The total area of Punjab is 50,362 square kilometers and this is around 1.54% of the total geographical area of India. If we rank the Indian states according to area, Punjab is at 20th position amongst all 29 states of India. Rajasthan is the largest state of India . The share of agriculture land is almost 82% of the total area of the state. Almost 5% of the area is covered by forests.

4. Rivers of Punjab The literal meaning of word Punjab is Land of Five Rivers and these five rivers are Satluj , Beas, Ravi, Jhelum and Chenab. The main rivers in today's state of Punjab are Satluj , Beas and Ravi. These rivers are fed by the waters from melting of snow in Himalayas, so flow throughout the year i.e. these are perennial rivers. Ghaggar , Sirsa and Kali Bein are some other important rivers of Punjab. These rivers are fed by the rain water and flow mainly during the rainy reason . There are three major wetlands in the state - Hari Ke Pattan , Kanjli and Ropar wetland which are included in the list of Wetlands of International Importance, also known as Ramsar Sites .

5. Majha , Malwa and Doaba The state is divided into three geographical regions -  Majha , Malwa and Doaba . This is mainly due to separation of these areas by Satluj and Beas rivers. The area between Beas and Ravi is known as Majha and is also called as Bari Doab . The area between Satluj and Beas rivers is called as Doaba and also known as Bist Doab . The area on the south of Satluj river is known as Malwa .

6. Climate and Rainfall In broad terms, the climate of Punjab is classified as Subtropical Semi-arid climate type. Most parts of the state receive abundant rainfall during the monsoon season. The average annual rainfall in the state is around 500mm. It is the five years average for the period from 2011 to 2015. The northeast parts of the state, which includes Gurdaspur , Pathankot , Hoshiarpur and Ropar districts, receive the maximum rainfall. The average rainfall in Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts is around 1100mm. Dhar Kalan block in Pathankot district is the wettest part of the state. The rainfall in the semi-arid parts in the southwest region, which includes parts of Fazilka , Firozpur , Mansa and Muktsar districts, receives least rainfall. The average annual rainfall in these parts is around 180mm. Abohar ( Fazilka district) is the driest block in the state.

7. Bet and Kandi Area The floodplains along the rivers of Punjab are locally called as Bet area. These areas are found all over the state in form of large belts along the rivers. The land in these areas contain slightly sandy soil and not very fertile for agriculture . Shivalik hills are situated along the eastern boundary of Punjab. This sub- mountaineous or semi-hilly area near the Shivalik foothills is locally called as Kandi area. This area is spread accross almost 6-8 kilometer belt along the border with Himachal Pradesh. Most parts of Hoshiarpur & Pathankot districts and some parts of Ropar , Nawan Shahr & Mohali districts lie in Kandi area of Punjab. Due to rocky soil and being a hilly area, its not good for crops like rice or wheat. Mangoes and other fruits are grown in large quantity in this area.

8. State Symbols of Punjab Sheesham ( Tahli in Punjabi) is the state tree of Punjab. It is also known as Indian Rosewood and grows mainly along the banks of rivers . Northern Goshawk ( Baaz in Punjabi) is the state bird of Punjab. Due to lost of natural habitat, only very few birds of this species are seen in the state. Black Buck (Kala Hiran ) is the state animal of Punjab. The animal is found mainly in the Abohar wildlife sanctuary, which is an open sanctuary spread over many villages and contains thousands of animals of this species.